Alone
by DR. SQUEE
Summary: (T/P) Everything is going wrong in Pan's life...Parents are fighting non-stop so she leaves Satan City...Only to have a lot more things to go wrong...She finds out the hard way that being Pyhiscally strong in this world is nothing unless mind is stronger.
1. Living Nightmare

Alone

Chapter one: The Beginning 

It was a usual day at Capsule Corp., the sun was shinning, the birds were chirping and Bulma was hitting Vegeta over the head with a frying pan. 

"Damn woman, would you stop that?" Vegeta spat out.

*** **Whack *

"Not till you say you're sorry." Bulma smirked. 

"Humph." Vegeta crossed his arms and started to walk away. Pan, Trunks, and Goten were getting a kick out of this while eating their saiyan-jin sized breakfast. Pan had spent the day with Bura, who decided she wanted to sleep all day. 

"Do your parents ever stop fighting?" Pan asked still watching Bulma and Vegeta. Bulma had a hold of Vegeta's right arm hitting him over the head with the pan while he was walking away.

"I dunno, maybe." Trunks said with his mouth filled with pancakes. 

"I wish I could block it out as easily as you." Pan said under her breath. 

Goten turned his head to look at his niece. "Oh, what do you mean?" 

"Mom and dad just fight a lot lately. That's all." Pan stated trying not to let the guys know that it bothers her………a lot. 

Pan turned her head to see that Bulma was now on Vegeta's back, still hitting him upside his head. Vegeta turned and walked back into the kitchen to raid the fridge. 

"Don't act like I'm not on your back!" Bulma yelled before hitting him again. Vegeta smiled, or at least it looked like a smile before looking at Trunks. 

"Boy, get into the gravity room." He said emotionless.

"No! You're not going to spar with me on your back hitting you with a frying pan." Bulma yelled before hitting her husband again. 

"With or without you, it doesn't really matter to me." Vegeta smirked. 

"Fine you win." Bulma said defeated as she jumped off his back and set the pan down. 

"Sure I do, I always do." Vegeta smirked once more.

"What!" Bulma screamed. She was about to grab the pan again but Vegeta intercepted her. He grabbed his wife and threw her over his shoulder and flew upstairs. 

"I did not just see that. I did not just see that. I did NOT just see that!" Trunks repeated over and over again as he banged his head into the table. 

Five minutes later, Bura came running down stairs in her nighties, consisting of a tank top and a pair of barely there underwear which both had little blue stars on them. Trunks shoved Goten's head down into his pate of food so that he wouldn't look at his sister. 

"What the hell Bura! Goten's here!" Trunks yelled.

"What? It's not like he's never seen a woman before! Plus it's not all the different from a swimsuit." Bura yelled back. 

"Ah, Trunks, I think you're drowning my uncle in the syrup." Pan stated while looking at Goten waving his arms wildly. 

"Oops." Trunks said sheepishly as he let go of Goten's head. "Sorry." 

"Nice nighties." Goten commented as he wiped the syrup off his face.

"Oh thanks, Pan has a pair too, only they have miniature black star dragon balls on them." Bura said evilly. 

"So, why are you still in your nighties?" Pan asked as she put her plate in the sink. 

"Mom and dad are on one of those sex-a-thons again. I couldn't stand it in my room any longer." Bura said shuddering. Trunks shuddered as if on cue.

"Okay…." Goten said oddly.

"For Dende's sake!" Trunks cried out as the whole house began to shake. "Can't they go a day with out?!" 

"So, what do you want to do today?" Goten asked Trunks. 

"Well, we have to be back by seven due to Pan's birthday party." Trunks replied, "Everyone is going to be here and I mean everyone. I think Goku got the clear to visit today, seeing how Pan is finally 18 today." 

'Oh no.' Pan thought to her self. 'This can't happen, I know for a fact that mom and dad are just going to be fighting all night.' 

"Pan, you there?" Trunks asked waving his hand in front of her face. 

"What? Huh? Oh." Pan said dazily before slipping outta her train of thought. 

"You going to come with us or staying with Bura?" He asked.

"Neither, I need to clear my head." Pan said still a little gone, "Maybe I'll just go on a flight or something or the other." She said as she left the room. 

Pan flew around Satan City for what seemed like forever, thinking about her family. 'Wait, what family? All they ever do is fight. They're fighting when I wake up, when I come home, at dinner and before I go to bed. I don't think I can remember the last time when they weren't fighting. They're always bringing me into it, saying that I'm still a minor and they can't afford to get a divorce because of child support issues. Damn it. I hate this, sometimes I feel like I just want to die because of it, it feels like I already did.' Pan's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a semi blow it's horn. She open her eyes and realized that she had been flying a few feet off the ground of the free way, she quickly dodged the semi and flew back up into the safety of the air. She flew till she couldn't fly any more, so she took a seat in the valley by a neighboring mountain continuing her thoughts. 

She closed her eyes and fell a sleep only to dream a dream, but wasn't a dream at all, it was an actual fight that her parents had had not too long ago, maybe a week or two earlier.

(Begin Pan dream sequence)

Pan was sitting on her bed trying to black out the sounds of her parents, but proved to be hopeless. Her parents screaming was so loud that not even a pillow would work any more. 'Had things really gotten this bad?' she thought to her self. 

"Fine! Leave! Leave like you always do!" Videl screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey! I wouldn't be leaving if it weren't for you screwing every guy in town every time I go to train!" Gohan yelled viciously.

"I said I'm sorry! What else do you want me to say?" Videl screamed back hopelessly. 

"Sorry can't reverse the fact that we're dying! Does it?" Gohan yelled back fuming, Videl didn't respond. "That sounds just great doesn't it dear?" he yelled sarcastically. "Warrior dies from HIV, wife and husband dead, mother and father DEAD!" he yelled even louder. Pan tried to block out the sounds but failed, hearing every single word crystal clear. 

"So what do we do now? Huh?" Videl asked, "We get a divorce? Die alone?" 

"I can't afford to get a divorce. Pan isn't eighteen yet. I can't afford child support!" Gohan yelled. 

"Is this what it's all about child support?!" Videl asked furious. "Maybe I should've just gotten the abortion 17 years ago, then we both wouldn't be in this mess!" 

"If I could reverse time I would!" Gohan yelled. Both of Pan's parents forgot that Pan was in the house, or maybe they didn't care. The last thing Pan heard before forcing herself to fall asleep was the sound of a vase breaking against the wall. 

(End dream sequence) 


	2. The Party

Chapter 2: "The Party"  
  
When she woke up the sun had already gone down and the moon dominated the sky. Pan wiped the tears away from her eyes and shot into the air towards CC. She looked at her watched as she made it to the front door, "7:55 PM" she said out loud. "Great, now I'll be pegged as rude." She said as she walked inside.   
"Where were you? Everyone was about to go home!" Bulma asked.  
"Sorry, I fell a sleep in a valley some where or the other." Pan said a little sheepishly.   
"Well come on, dinner is getting cold." Bulma guided Pan into the dining room where everyone was waiting. They must've just sat down, to eat without her.   
"Look who finally decided to show up to her own party." Trunks teased.  
"Sorry, I feel asleep." Pan offered weakly.   
"Just like her grandfather, not a worry in the world." Krillin said happily, looking at Goku.   
Pan took her seat between her parents and across from Trunks. Everyone started to eat, when Gohan and Videl started at it again.   
"Thanks for the meal Bulma." Gohan said as he finished his plate. "Kami forbid I get one at home."   
Videl replied back bitterly, but no one said anything to stop them, everyone just watched them go at it. Everyone consisted of the entire Brief Family, Son Family, Krillin's family, Yamcha, Tien, Choazu, Lunch, Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, and Uubu.   
Finally Pan couldn't take it anymore, her ki increasing massively, tears slowly running down her cheeks as she tried to hold them in. Her parents didn't even notice, this was the first time she cried in public for a very long time. Her raven black hair flickered blonde for a moment, but her ki couldn't stay down any longer, no matter how hard she tried. Finally she gave in to her feelings, her ki exploding, thus creating a crying SSJ.  
"Is it humanly possible for you two to stop fighting for two minutes?" Pan spat out. Her shoulder length hair now blonde and standing straight up as if there were no gravity. "That's all I hear when I wake up and go to sleep and hell I can't even escape it in my dreams or on my birthday! It's been like that, ever since, ever since, fuck I can't even remember time when you weren't fighting!"  
"Pan." Gohan started.  
"Don't Pan me, GOHAN!" Pan yelled into her father's face! "I've had enough of this crap! Just get a fucking divorce! There's nothing to hold you back this time, you don't have to pay child support now that I'm 18!"  
"Pan." Videl tried to calm her daughter down but only to be cut off.  
"Oh and dear mother!" She yelled. "Why didn't you get that abortion 18 years ago?"  
"What are you talking about?" Gohan asked stunned.  
"What am I talking about? Don't tell me you don't remember!" Pan yelled back. "Maybe I should've just gotten the abortion 17 years ago, then we both wouldn't be in this mess!" She mimicked her mother's words perfectly, then her fathers, "If I could reverse time I would!" Gohan and Videl were left speechless. "There's no point in celebrating my birthday, there's nothing to celebrate." Pan said before leaving CC.  
Everyone looked at Gohan and Videl as if they were criminals. Videl didn't say anything, just picked up her car keys and left quietly. Gohan apologized for the scene as he left, flying in the opposite direction of his wife and daughter.  
`A family divided, nothing is new about that in this world today. Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. I guess I just never thought it would be happening to the people I hold close.' Bulma thought to her self.   
  



	3. Mr. Booboo & Mr. Rags

Author's Note:  
Okay, I think I just may have indeed got rid of this writer's block. During my leave of absence, I've been working on another fic, Antics of Love. Well, here's the disclaimer I've been forgetting to add to my stories.   
I don't own DBZ or any other thing that may pop into my story, yadda, yadda, yadda, and so forth! There, I did it, happy now you rich lawyer scum?!   
Anyhoo, on forth with the story!  
Alone  
Chapter 3  
Pan flew around, not going anyway in particular, all she wanted to do was get away..far away. She sped up when she felt a familiar ki behind her. "Damn it, what does he want?" she said bitterly before stopping to land in an open field.   
Trunks landed almost silently behind her, almost as if he didn't want her to know he was there, but he knew she knew, he just wanted her to acknowledge his presence.   
"Why'd you come?" Pan asked emotionless. It took all her strength not to let herself fly with her emotion like she did earlier.   
Trunks looked straight ahead, she acknowledged his presence but refused to look at him. "I came to check on my friend." He said like he cared.  
"Thanks, but I'm fine." She replied stubbornly.  
"Bull shit." Trunks said a little agitated.   
This caught her off guard, but quickly regained her composure. "I said I'm fine."  
"You were crying, the Pan I know never cries." Trunks stated as he put a hand on her shoulder.   
"How the hell would you know?" Pan spun around looking Trunks in the eyes. "Are you there when I cry myself to sleep every night? Are you there when I have to excuse myself from the dinner table to have an emotional break down in the bathroom? And are you there at night when I wake up from crying in my dreams only to find that the tears are real?" After a moment of silence she realized that she said too much. She literally threw her pride on the ground for him to do as he likes. She turned to leave, only to have him stop her.   
"What's going on? I care about you and it kills me to see you like this." He said as he look deeply into her watering brown eyes that threatened to spill at any moment.   
It's been a long time since she heard those words from anyone, `I care about you.' This was her undoing. He noticed that her bottom lip began to quiver as a single tear ran down her cheek, knowing that there would be more he pulled her into his strong arms and let her cry on his chest.   
"Please tell me what's happening." Trunks begged.  
After a few moments of sobbing into his shirt, she let it out. "They're dying." She said softly before sobbing even harder into his chest.   
`What? How? Why?' His mind was running with questions he wanted to ask, but knowing how hard this is for her, he gently rocked her back and forth stroking her soft raven hair. Her scent invaded his senses, the smell of lavender and peppermints, an odd combination but he found it rather appealing. He cleared his throat as Pan's sobs became less violent and her breathing slowed down.   
"Feel better?" He asked as she pulled away.  
"No, I'm not even sure if I can feel better anymore. It's been too long, too long since I felt anything but this." She said softly as she wiped the tears from off her cheeks. She looked up at Trunks who seemed as lost as she was at the moment, for some odd reason this brought an emotionless smirk to her face, he knew it was emotionless cause their was nothing in her eyes, just pure melancholy. "I know what you're thinking." She said as she looked at the ground. The ground was the only thing that kept her from crying yet again.   
"What am I thinking?" he asked a little taken from her state of emotionless. `I don't get it, just a few moments ago, she was balling her eyes out, now she's emotionless, or so it seems.' He thought to himself.  
"You were wondering how they're dying and why." Pan said still not looking up from her previous spot on the ground. She walked over and sat on a rather large rock in the middle of the field.   
Trunks sat down next to her, "Well, this is coming as a rather large shock and I wouldn't be able to do anything till I find out what in fact is going on." He said as he looked at her, she didn't respond. "You told me this much, I need to know. After all, opening up a bit might help you feel better."   
She sighed knowing that he was probably right. "It all started a few years ago, when I was 16. I can still remember that day." She smiled half a smile. "Everything was perfect! I woke up to caring parents, father was leaving in an hour to go train with you and Goten for a week in the wilderness and I was going to stay with Bura for a couple days. I was so excited, your guys' house is so much bigger than mine and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I'd get to stay in a mansion, get to see all the neat contraptions your mother was building and I'd get to annoy your father, which I thought was the best part." She stopped to look at the stars.   
Trunks couldn't help but to smirk a bit at that last part. "You're lucky you were born female, other wise he would've beaten some sense in you." He joked playfully.   
Pan sighed before continuing. "Well, I couldn't sleep very well that night. I had forgotten.um." she paused before continuing, ".my toothbrush."  
"You didn't forget your toothbrush, what did you really forget?" Trunks inquired.  
"It's not important, but if you must know, I have.eer.had a teddy bear named Mr. Booboo." She said sheepishly. Trunks was right, talking was starting to help her feel a little better.  
He smirked at the thought of Pan sleeping with a teddy bear, "Don't think you're the only one, I sleep with Mr. Rags, my stuffed bunny."   
She looked at him oddly before continuing with her story. "I didn't feel right without him, so I sneaked out of my guest room's window that I claimed as mine and flew towards home. I quietly flew through my window that I left open from the night before and grabbed Mr. Booboo from off my bed. That's when I heard it," Pan stopped and looked down at the ground as if she was about to cry again.   
"That's when you heard what?" Trunks asked. His full attention was on her and her alone, she didn't mind the attention, it's been awhile since she could actually open up to anyone.   
"My mother. It was disturbing to say the least, I wasn't sure if she was having sex or a walrus was running rapid in the house somewhere." She said before stopping again. "I was curious to say the least, I thought maybe she just feel asleep with the HBO channel on or something, that's what I hoped. I didn't feel my dad's ki and anyone else's ki at that. I tiptoed into the hallway leading into the living room and that's when I saw it. My mother was sleeping with another guy, the TV was off and candles were lit everywhere. I couldn't believe my eyes, I didn't care if she saw or heard me, I ran as fast as I could out of the house and back to Capsule Corp. I cried myself to sleep that night for the first time in a long time, the first, but not the last." She looked over at Trunks who was still absorbing all the information. "Well, I guess that weakling of a guy carried HIV and infected my mom, who later infected my unsuspecting dad. Now they're dying and there's nothing I can do about it. I could've done something about it though, I could've told my dad and then at least."   
"No." Trunks interrupted. "Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault." He said as he put his arm around her.   
"Promise you won't tell anyone. Please. It would kill my dad if he knew anyone knew about this." She pleaded.   
"You have my word on that, milady." Trunks said as he raised his right arm. "Under one condition."  
"Oh?" She pondered.   
"You never ever tell anyone about Mr. Rags!" he smiled.   
"Fine, just don't tell anyone about Mr. Booboo, he'd die too if anyone knew that he still slept with an animate object." She offered weakly.   
Trunks smiled at Pan once more looking into her eyes, "I'll always be here for you."   
  
(Okay, I finally finished this chapter! Gives her victory sign as she dances around the room. Please review and let me know what you think. Sorry it took so long for me to post this, I've just been pondering on other things lately. Next chapter should be up in a little bit.)   
  
^_^


	4. Journal on the Nightstand

A/N: Sorry for the long time and no write….no money to pay the internet bill…..yeah……I'm a poor bitch…..hehehe…..^_^; I'll try to write a good chapter, if I don't….then oh well.   
  
Alone  
  
Chapter 4  
  
It was about midnight when Trunks and Pan returned to Capsule Corp. everyone had gone home and Bulma, Vegeta, and Bura had already taken to bed. "If you want you can stay in one of the guest rooms if you don't want to go home." Trunks offered.  
"That would be nice, thanks." Pan replied a little weakly. When she reached the guestroom that she claimed as hers when she was just a kid, she stopped and looked at all the stuff she had there, extra clothes, a scrap book, framed pictures on the night stands, and even her old journal.   
"Do you need anything, I'm going to the kitchen?" Trunks asked as he poked his head inside the door.   
Pan smiled and replied, "A glass of water would be good."   
"I'll be back." He said with yawn as he shut the door.   
Pan bent down and picked up the disregarded journal and flipped through the pages, she stopped on one particular entry and started reading.   
"October 31st,  
I'm over here at capsule corp. hanging out with Bura, Goten, Marron and Trunks. We all decided we were too old to go trick or treating this year, so we turned off the porch light and ate all the candy ourselves. Bulma would be upset if she found out, she will anyway, it'll probably be printed on all the tabloids or something like that. The guys and Marron could've went out partying and stuff with their older friends, but they stayed with Bura and I to watch scary movies and act like stupid teenagers again. I love them all so much, they've been my best friends ever since I could remember, they've always been there for me and I'll always be there for them. We made a pact tonight, to always be there for one another no matter how old we may get or how far we move away from each other. We're always a phone call away from each other. Trunks surprised everyone by buying us cell phones and offering to pay the bills. I'm so glad we have each other, I don't what I'd do with out all of them.  
Always,   
Pan"  
  
She shut the journal when Trunks walked in the room with a glass of water. "Thanks." Pan thanked as she took the glass and practically chugged the contents.   
"Better?"   
"Yup, thanks." She said as she set the glass on the nightstand.  
"Good night Panny chan." Trunks said as he was about to leave the room.   
"Wait." Pan called after him. "Could you stay here tonight? You know, I kinda forgot Mr. Booboo."   
"Umm…" Trunks said uneasy.  
"Not like that. I mean like friends, just sort of be here. I don't want to be alone." Pan said as she bowed her head and didn't look back up.   
He didn't say anything, just smiled kindly and walked toward Pan and put an arm around her. "Like I said, I'll always be here for you." He said with a slight yawn.   
She laid down and Trunks followed suit holding her protectively as if there was monsters in the closet. With in moments Trunks was asleep as Pan laid awake thinking about life in general. She stirred in the bed to make herself comfortable, Trunks' strong grip didn't give her much room to move, but she found a comfortable spot resting her head on her chest.   
"I love you." He whispered. His eyes were still closed and Pan knew he was sleeping and with in seconds she joined him in slumber land.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Bulma couldn't fall back asleep ever since she heard Trunks come home, so she got up out of bed and walked down the hallway. She poked her head in her son's room, but he wasn't there. "That's odd." She said to herself as she walked to the other wing of the house where Pan's room is. She poked her head inside to see Trunks and Pan sleeping together. "Well at least they're fully clothed." She said relieved as she shut the door. "It's shame really, what Pan's going through." She said to herself. "I just wish that none of this never happened."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Pan woke up to the sound of the door of her room shutting, the clock read 3 am. She didn't know what came over her, but she picked up her journal and a pencil and started writing. When she finished, she placed the opened journal on the nightstand and flew out the window.   
  
A/N: So what did ya think?? Sorry it's so short, it's already 1 am, I have to wake up @ 6:45 to go to Oregon to pick up my friend. ::Yawn:: Later….don't forget to Review!! 


	5. Saying Goodbye

A/N: What the hell is up with FanFiction.net? I've been having trouble logging on lately? I don't know if it's my computer or if it's the site's problem..if anyone else has been having trouble with the site, please tell me in your review.I'd really like that, cause I'm confused now...Damn it.   
  
Alone  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Dear Everyone,  
I'm writing this letter to say that I'm leaving this Kami forsaken place. I'm sorry and love everyone here so much, it's just that I need some space to just breathe. Please understand, but I have to leave for awhile. I don't know when I'm going to be back or where I'm going to go, all that I do know is that I need to get away for awhile.   
I'm sorry Trunks, Goten, Bura, and Marron. I know we made a pact to always be there for each other and everyone's lived up to it, well except for now. Please don't hate me for this, but do me a favor, please don't try to contact me. I love you all so much and I'll always need you, but please honor my wishes.   
Mom, Dad, what is there to say to you? Well, a lot really, but words can not explain my feelings towards you right now. Have a nice life, well, what's left of it.  
-Pan"  
  
"She'll be back soon." Bulma tried to say with a fake smile to her eldest son.   
"How would you know?" Trunks spat out. They were sitting on the sofa in the living room, Bulma had the journal on her lap, while Trunks stared at the floor and Bura sat on the chair in the corner looking as if she was about to cry.   
"Why doesn't she want to be contacted?" Bura spilled out before tears started flowing.   
"When I was about her age, my parents were fighting constantly, Yamcha and I were fighting and my cat just died. All I wanted was a new life in a new place with nothing to remind me of this life, not even my closet friends." Bulma said truthfully.   
"Yeah, but she stayed." Vegeta said entering the room. "Just goes to show that your mother is stronger than she looks."  
"So what are you saying? Pan's weak?" Trunks spat out defensively.  
"In a matter of speaking yes." Vegeta replied. "Her parents are fighting, so what? She runs away. Yeah, she's real strong." He said sarcastically.   
"What the fuck do you know?" Trunks yelled. "You don't know a damn thing about what's going on. How can you even speak on her part?"   
"Oh and I suppose you do?" Vegeta said sounding extremely cocky and on the verge of losing his temper.   
"Yeah, actually I do." Trunks said dangerously as he stood eye to eye with his father. "Whatever, you're not even worth my time old man." He said with a slight laugh before leaving the room.   
"Get your ass back here, I'm not done with you yet!" Vegeta yelled.  
"You may not be done with me, but I'm done with you." Trunks said coolly before leaving the house.  
"He'll come back when he's hungry." Vegeta snorted.   
"Actually dad, he has an apartment in town." Bura informed, "he is 32 you know."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Life went on, Goten, Trunks, Bura and Marron kept their pact with each other. Bulma still had her yearly get-togethers and Vegeta hated every single one. Gohan still lives at his home while Videl moved back to her father's mansion. Trunks still lives in his apartment only coming into Capsule Corp. to take his chair as president. No one has seen or heard from Pan since her birthday party and that's way she wants to keep it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
2 years later.  
  
Pan sat in her living room surrounded by her new close friends, one of them had curly red hair named Sarah, another had long blonde hair named Lily, and the last one had short brown named Heather.   
"How long has it been?" Sarah asked looking at the small white contraption on the coffee table.   
"Two minutes, it's takes five, now shut up." Heather spat out not taking her eyes off the coffee table.   
"Come on guys, I doubt that I am, this is stupid." Pan said getting up from the couch.   
"Wait! Wait!" Lily screamed, "It's doing something!"   
"The moment of truth." Sarah mentioned seriously.  
"You make things sound so dramatic." Lily joked.  
"This is a big deal." Sarah defended herself.  
Pan blocked out the sounds of her friends as she played with her ring on her finger. "Well, I guess I was wrong."   
  
A/N: Ewwie, a cliff hanger.what's going on?? What's going to happen? And why am I still typing??? Find this out and more in the next chapter..BYE!!!! 


	6. Babysitter?

Alone

Chapter 6

'I can't believe he's dead.' Pan thought to herself over and over again while looking at the bed she once shared with her husband. She walked to her baby's room and sat in the doorway. 'Why'd you have to go and get yourself killed like that? I need you, more than ever. I know you loved us more than anything else in the world but there was another passion in your life that you couldn't deny and that's what got you killed. You were so brave and selfless when it came to helping others, you gave your life so another could live. I respect that and that's also my undoing. Why couldn't you have gotten a desk job, a safe job? Now I'm all alone at night with only my thoughts and in the day I'm so busy with Emmanuel that the only thoughts I have are of him. Do you know how hard it's been since you've been gone?' Pan sighed. She ran her finger across Emmanuel's soft cheek gently, careful not to wake him. She turned and left the room. 

Her apartment was no longer furnished, but filled with large brown boxes. 'Moving on again.' She thought sadly as she sat down on the floor to pay her last bills from her apartment. After paying the utilities, grocery, diapers, rent, the down payment for her new lower income apartment, credit card bills, phone bill and basic hygiene products, she found her cheek book balance was in the red. "Oh Kami." She sighed sadly. 

The next day she attempted to fit everything in her old, rusted, beaten down, 1979 Ford pick up. After strapping everything down, she installed the car seat and buckled her most valuable possession carefully inside. She pulled a blanket over little Emmanuel, who was only a little over a year old, because the heater in her truck went out again and being in mid January didn't help any. 

She looked up one last time at her middle class apartment on the third floor, trying to remember if she had forgotten anything. Memories started flooding back to her, their first kiss, their first date, all the parties and the most remember-able of all was the look on her husband's face when she told him she was pregnant. 

She smiled at remembering the time she woke up at 2:30 in the morning craving an extra large sundae with hot fudge, nuts, cherries, and three kinds of ice cream. Emmanuel, her husband's and son's name, rolled out of bed half awake and drove around half the night to find anything open and bought exactly what she wanted and a jar of pickles. He was good to her and she loved him for that. 

Pan sighed as she pried open the stuck door, got in and had to slam it shut. It took her three tries to start the engine, but when she did, they were off. Only stopping to change diapers, fill the tank, and grab some food, they made record time. 

"Satan City." Pan mouthed quietly, careful not to wake up her child. Emmanuel had cried himself to sleep about twenty miles ago. She had gotten a job that paid nearly fifteen dollars an hour working at an up town law firm as a secretary. The best part was they offered day care and health and dental coverage for her and her baby, which was the only reason that brought her back to Satan City. "I'm cursed to always come back." She sighed as she parked in her new parking spot.

A few hours later, she had everything settled in her apartment, but not unpacked. Emmanuel slept in his mother's arms, his tail flinching every now and then as he dreamt. Pan walked out onto the porch/balcony (she was on the third floor again) to admire the view. There weren't any large building directly in front of the apartment complex allowing the occupants to see some of the large city. Just in the distance, she could make out the large white dome she recognized as Capsule Corp. 

She heard the sliding door next to her slid open and shut and the flick of a lighter, then a voice. "Pan?" a familiar voice asked. She didn't turn around. "I'm sorry you look like somebody I once knew." Apologized the man. "I'm Yamcha." 

Pan let out a choked laugh, "Yamcha, huh?" she asked with a grin as she turned around. "Nice to meet you, I'm Pan." She joked. 

"Are you babysitting?" Yamcha asked hopefully, but soon ate his words when he noticed the tail swaying gently side to side. "Never mind." He said sheepishly. 

"Quite alright." Pan accepted. "He's name's Emmanuel Jr." 

Yamcha looked a little uneasy, "So ah, where's the dad?" 

Pan shook her head, "Dead." She said softly. 

"Sorry." Yamcha apologized, looking even more sheepish than before. His cordless phone started ringing, "Hello? Oh hi Bulma. Yeah, tonight? Okay, I'll be sure to spread the word. Oh hey, you don't mind if I invite somebody do you? I mean, I don't know what their plans are…okay, thanks, see you then! Bye." Yamcha said into the phone happily. 

Pan turned to go inside, but Yamcha called after her. 

"Pan, hey wait up." Pan stopped and returned to her previous spot. "I just wanted to tell you that ever since you've been gone, everyone's been miserable!" he exclaimed. "I swear it, I don't think Trunks has had no more than three dates, Bura started training, Goten mopes around the country all day and most of the night, and Krillin told me that all Marron does lately is mope around the house after work. The rest of us missed you also, so I'm gonna try to be a good neighbor and all and request that you come to Capsule Corp. tonight. Everyone will be so glad to see you, please?" 

Pan tried to find an excuse not to go, "I just got here, I still have to unpack, and I have to go to work in the morning." She replied. Yamcha nodded, understanding, started to head back into his apartment when a shot of guilt screamed through her body. "Yamcha, I'll go." 

Yamcha smiled. "Great, I'll give you a ride. I don't think that truck has much life left in her, I heard it coming five blocks away." 

"Thank you." 

"No problem." 

Emmanuel shifted in his mother's arms and yawned. His eyes fluttered opened and his tail slowly rose so that the tip was right above his head. "Did you sleep well mister?" she asked lovingly. He yawned and gave Pan a goofy smirk. "Well good, cause my arms were getting tired." Yamcha grinned at the little boy who was looking at him with the goofy son smile. Pan gave a little gasp, "Mister poopy! No wonder you have that silly look on your face!" she cooed as she patted Emmanuel's bottom. 

Yamcha's grin faded, 'Goku had that look whenever he did something embarrassing.' He thought. "Pan!" he called, she poked her head out the sliding door. "Do you think you'll be ready in about two hours?" he asked. "Everyone is showing up at four thirty, but I like to be fashionably late by half an hour or so."

"Yeah sure."    


	7. Learning to Forgive

Alone

Chapter seven

Yamcha pulled into the driveway of Capsule Corp. a little after five p.m. with Pan and Emmanuel. He drove a 1998 Chevy Malibu, granted it had its scratches but it was still a good car. "You ready?" Yamcha asked after noticing Pan's worried expression. 

"As ready as I'll ever be." Pan grunted as she pulled Emmanuel from his car seat. "I think I'm just going to go straight to the back, I feel my dad's ki; I kind of wanted to talk to him first." 

"Alright, I'll see you in a little bit then." Yamcha announced cheerfully as he practically ran to the front door. Pan sighed as she walked around the side of the large house. She peered into the backyard and spotted the people she tried so hard to forget; her father, Vegeta, Krillin, Goten, Ubuu, and Trunks. 

Pan summoned all her courage and stepped into the backyard, "You always did pack quite a punch." She called over to her dad, who was punching an invisible enemy. 

Gohan stopped in midair and turned around. No one moved, no one talked, everyone, even Pan just stood there and stared. "Pan." Gohan said, unable to form a sentence. He landed on the ground and stopped walking when he got about ten feet from his daughter.  

"Good, you still recognize me." She said sarcastically.

"Hi." Gohan greeted uneasily as he moved in for a hug, but Pan moved out of the way. For the next few moments an awkward silence covered the group like a blanket and the tension in the air was so thick that you couldn't even cut it was knife. "So…" Gohan started unsure what he was going to say. 

"So," Pan started, "still alive I see." She said coldly. 

"I feel like I've already died." Gohan said quietly as he scratched the back of his neck. He found the ground extremely interesting for the next few moments. 

"How's mom?" Pan asked trying to warm up a little to her father. 

"She's ah, she's ah," He started painfully, "She died last year." 

"Oh." Pan said trying to sound sympathetic, but found it extremely hard.

Another awkward fell upon the two. 

"So, ah," Gohan scratched his neck nervously again. "How have you been?" 

"I've spent the last two years of my life trying to forget this place, I was doing pretty good too." Pan said emotionless. 

"What made you come back?" Gohan asked, trying to understand things from his daughter's point of view. 

"Job offer." Pan stated simply. 

"Oh, where's your husband?" Gohan asked, noticing her ring and more importantly Emmanuel, who was holding on to Pan's neck. 

Pan set Emmanuel on the ground, who immediately started to chase falling snowflakes. The cold didn't seem to bother him, after all, Pan wrapped him three sweatshirts and a large winter jacket. "I guess the Son curse is to become a widow." She looked over to her son again and noticed he was forming a ki blast. She ran over to him and integrated his ki blast into one of her own and sent to a nearby tree. "No Emmanuel. You're too young! You might get yourself hurt, not to mention we didn't get our safety deposited back from our last apartment." She scolded, reminding everyone of Chichi.

Gohan walked up behind her, "Listen, I'm sorry." 

Pan turned around, a frown present on her face, "What are you sorry for?" she asked. Emmanuel watched his mommy's breath fade into the air. 

"I'm sorry for being saying those things about you and your mother. I'm sorry for being a relentless bastard." Gohan said in a way that Pan had difficulties not to believe him. 

Pan smiled; for the first time in a long while she let out a slight laugh. "Don't apologize for the things you said about mother. She deserves what she got in the end, I'm glad you said those things." She said humorously. 

It was Gohan's turn to frown but didn't say anything back to further the situation. "So, I'm a grandfather. May I?" he asked holding out his arms. 

Pan thought about it for a minute before handing him Emmanuel. She looked nervously at the two for a moment; she thought her father was going to drop him. "Relax, if you don't remember, I've done this before." Gohan laughed. "Why don't you go greet everyone else, I've got…"

"Emmanuel." Pan stated. 

"I've got Emmanuel taken care of." Gohan smirked. 

Pan didn't move from her spot in front of her father, instead she looked at him with pleading eyes. "Daddy, I'm sorry." She said softly as she embraced her father in hug. 

"I'm sorry too." Gohan whispered, trying to keep both Emmanuel and Pan in his grasps. "I've missed you so much." 

"Likewise." Pan said pulling out of the hug first; she quickly brushed away the tears that threaten to fall down her cheek. 

Gohan smiled at his daughter once more who was looking at him like she did when she was younger, "Go on, and go greet everyone else." 

Pan smiled as she turned and saw Trunks on the porch; Goten had ran inside screaming, "She's back!" over and over again, forgetting to say just who is back. Trunks let a warm smile cross his face as he uncrossed his arms. 

(Hmmm….well there's chapter seven, what'd ya think? Cheesy? I know, but I don't care! Later!) 


	8. Questions and Answers

A/N: Sorry about the long delay, I've been busy and running around like a dumbass with their head chopped off. Meaning that I've mastered the art of driving a manual transmission…^_^  

Thanks too all the reviewers who…reviewed!!! I'd post your guys' names, but to tell you the truth I'm really too lazy…you all know who you are.

On a different note…Just because Pan returned home, doesn't mean she isn't done jumping hurdles. Although, for all the Gohan fans; you'll be happy with me, hopefully. OH! T/P isn't too far ahead!!! YAH!! Expect this chapter to be pure fluff…or something like that. (Hell, I'm still not sure what I'm going to write, but I do know what's going to happen…) 

Alone

~ * Last Time * ~

 Pan smiled as she turned and saw Trunks on the porch; Goten had ran inside screaming, "She's back!" over and over again, forgetting to say just who is back. Trunks let a warm smile cross his face as he uncrossed his arms.

Chapter Eight

~ * Flashback * ~

"Wait." Pan called after him. "Could you stay here tonight? You know, I kinda forgot Mr. Booboo."   
       "Umm…" Trunks said uneasy.  
       "Not like that. I mean like friends, just sort of be here. I don't want to be alone." Pan said as she bowed her head and didn't look back up.   
        He didn't say anything, just smiled kindly and walked toward Pan and put an arm around her. "Like I said, I'll always be here for you." He said with a slight yawn.   
        She laid down and Trunks followed suit holding her protectively as if there was monsters in the closet. With in moments Trunks was asleep as Pan laid awake thinking about life in general. She stirred in the bed to make herself comfortable, Trunks' strong grip didn't give her much room to move, but she found a comfortable spot resting her head on his chest.   
        "I love you." He whispered. His eyes were still closed and Pan knew he was sleeping and with in seconds she joined him in slumber land.

~ * End Flashback * ~

'Where'd that come from?' Pan asked herself as she stopped in misstep to ponder on her thought. She scratched the back of her neck secretly wondering if she was doing the right thing, returning. 'No, no, you're back now, there's no running away.' She told herself. Her eyes met with the icy blues of Trunks' for a split second before she turned back to her father. Emmanuel was laughing and squealing like he did when his other grandfather would hold him and Gohan was smiling warmly at the young child in his arms.

"What? Are you still worried I'm going to drop him?" Gohan asked with a slight laugh. 

"No, no." Pan assured as she took a deep breath. "I guess I just got lost in thought again." By this time Krillin had taken to Gohan's side to play peek-a-boo with Emmanuel while Vegeta and Uubu resumed their sparring the match. She sighed once more as she turned around to find that Trunks had made his way from the porch to a few feet from where she stood. 

"What? You didn't expect me to wait all day, did you?" Trunks smirked. "How have you been?" he asked as he gestured for her to follow. 

"Pretty good, I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you guys like crazy." 

"You hurt all of us." He stated grimly as he leaned against the railing on the porch, with Pan right in front of him. "I hope you found what you were looking for."

"I did." 

"Good, cause I was thinking you'd never come back." He said as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I meant what I said that night, I'll always be here for you." He whispered as he closed his eyes. 

'Damn, why does he have to smell so good; I guess that means he hasn't been training.' She thought to herself for a minute before saying anything. "And I'll always be here for you too." She smiled. Before either of them knew what hit them, they were knocked over the railing and onto the snow covered grass. Three other individuals were squirming on top of the two, after Pan regained her senses she learned that the guilty culprits were none other than Marron, Goten and Bura. 

"I can't believe you're back!" Bura cried as she jumped off the ground. Marron and Goten followed Bura's lead and stood up. 

"Yeah, me neither." Pan groaned as Trunks extended his hand to help her off the ground.       

"How have you been?!" Marron squealed as she hugged her once life long friend without mercy. "I've missed you so much; so MUCH!!!" she nearly yelled. 

Pan flinched from her yelling and screeching; after all, she had inherited her ancestors' sensitive hearing. "I've been busy." She smiled. "I missed you guys too." Marron stepped back and Bura moved in for her hug. "Hey." She greeted. 

"Hi." Bura sighed as she released Pan. "So what finally brought you back to us?" 

"If it's alright, I'd rather not go into that particular subject right now." Pan answered. 

Goten moved in and brushed away a strand of hair from her face before giving her a bear hug that even Goku would be proud of. "You're never EVER going to leave us like that again! Do you hear me?" he scolded with a half smile. "It's just so nice to finally have you back." He said softer as he relinquished her from his death grasp. 

"Ah Pan, I love you and all," Gohan started as he made his way through the crowd of the youngest generation of Z fighters. "But I believe this is your area of expertise." He finished as he handed Emmanuel over to his rightful mother. 

"Do you have a poopy diaper?" Pan cooed as she tickled his tummy. Emmanuel giggled with delight, Bura and Marron stood there in awe for a few seconds, unable to form any words of any sort. Pan smirked at their dumbfounded expressions. "Bura, Marron," Pan started humorously, "Goten and Trunks, I believe I haven't formerly introduced you to the love of my life and undying affection. I'd like to meet one Mr. Emmanuel Black Jr." 

"Oh my Kami! Oh my Kami!" Marron squealed, "He's so cute!!!!"

"So adorable!!" Bura cooed as she ran her fingers through the young child's hair. "So I assume you're Mrs. Pan Black then?" she said in her normal tone. 

"I guess." Pan said as if she was uncertain of the correct answer. 

"What do you mean, you guess? Where's your husband?" Marron asked getting a little protective of her friend. Pan cleared her throat and shifted her son as if she was uneasy with the subject. "He left you, didn't he and that's why you came back, isn't it?" she asked. 

"No, no, not at all." She said sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck with her one free hand. "We loved each other very much, he's just sort of…dead." 

"Oh my Kami! I'm so sorry. I didn't know!! I'm sooo sorry!" Marron pleaded. 

"Hey, it's okay. I've come to peace with it, so should you." Pan grinned as she started to head for the back door to go inside. "Now, I have a poopy diaper crisis to resolve and I left his diaper bag in Yamcha's car."

"Yamcha's car?" Goten asked. 

"Yeah, I moved in next door to him and he gave us a ride here." She answered. 

"So someone finally moved into that apartment. It's been vacant for over three years now. I think someone killed themselves in there." Bura said a eerie voice. "Scary…what if it's haunted?" 

"Right…" Pan joked. 

"Dinner's ready!!" a familiar voice yelled out of the sliding glass door. "PAN!!!" Chichi screamed with delight before dropping her tray of appetizers. "Oh! I have a great grandson!! Where's the father!" she yelped cheerfully. Trying not to go into detail about everything, she answered her grandmother as Chichi pulled her into the kitchen. All the older women gasped out of surprised and started asking questions galore! After the women were left breathless, Pan promised to answer their questions after she changed her son's dirty diaper and that meant heading in to where all the other men where…the bar area. 

"Yamcha, you in here?" Pan called in, trying to be heard over the loud classic rock being played at near full blast. Suddenly the music stopped and it seemed like all eyes were on her and her son. "Ummm, dinner's done." She said awkwardly…soon all the men were running out of the room, she pulled Yamcha to the side before he ran out of sight. "Hey, I left his diaper bag in the car, could I get the keys from you or something?" 

"Nah." Yamcha teased. "I'll accompany you though." He stated as they walked out of the room and soon out of Capsule Corp. "Make good with your father again?" he asked with a hiked eyebrow as he opened the one of the back doors and grabbed the green and yellow bag with giraffes and monkeys on it. 

"Yeah, not to mention everyone else." Pan sighed. 

"So I guess you found out."

"Found out what?" 

"About your father." Yamcha stated as if it were common knowledge. When he noticed her stupefied look he continued. "I guess you haven't. Well then, we should be getting back inside then, we don't want a sick baby on our hands." He said as he hurried towards the door. 

"No wait!" Pan called after him. She caught up to him and forced him to look at her. "Tell me about my father." 

"I think maybe your father should…"

"No, you tell me, now!" She demanded. 

"Okay, okay, no need to go super sayain on my ass." Yamcha grinned; noticing she was getting worked up again; meaning her ki was rapidly rising. Pan caught on and lowered her ki to her normal level. "Shortly after you left, Bulma did some test on your father's blood to see how his sayain DNA was reacting to the HIV virus. It turns out that his sayain DNA is rejecting the virus, thus disabling it from turning into the more deadly form of AIDS. But him being half human as well, it's been an uphill battle; just as long as he stay active and lets his sayain half have a decent work out, Bulma and the doctors predict that he'll be able to purge the virus from his system in a few years." 

"Wow." Was all Pan could say after being taken back. 

"He still has a long way to go Pan, he could really use your support." He stated seriously. 

"Um, yeah." She said uneasily as she cleared her throat. Emmanuel reminded his mother about his dirty diaper by starting a crying fest and tugging at her hair. "Right, I have a diaper to change." She said as she started back to the house. 

"Hey." Yamcha called after her before she got inside. "You alright?"

She stopped and looked at him, "Yeah, I think I'm going to be just fine. Thanks." She smiled. The rest of the evening went smoothly enough, no insults were passed to one another and it seemed like everything really was going to be alright for now on. Soon everyone was gathered in the living room; Emmanuel was passed out in Goten's arms while everyone reminisced about old times. 

"So Pan," Chichi started. "How did you meet your husband?" she asked with curiosity. Suddenly the room grew quiet, almost uncomfortably quiet. 

She cleared her throat and sighed. Clearing her throat in awkward situations was rapidly becoming a bad habit at this point in her life. "Well, I was in Vegas with some friends of mine…" she trailed off, "and I guess I got lucky." She added as if it were an after thought. Goten nearly choked on his laughter, then realizing he might wake the baby tried to calm down. Pan smirked at the sight of her family's facial expressions. "You would've liked him." She assured. 

"What did he do for a living?" Gohan asked as if skeptical. 

"He was a cop, head of his division." She answered.

"Do you have a picture?" Bura asked. 

Pan pulled out a picture from her wallet and handed it to her friend. It was a picture of Pan when she was about seven months pregnant, a man with tan skin and blond hair sat next to her kissing her cheek. They were sitting on the porch steps of a town house with several other people. "The other people in there are my sister in-law, her good for nothing boyfriend and my friends Sarah, Lilly and Heather." She pointed them out.

"He's cute." Marron stated.  

 "I thought so." She replied as her cell phone began playing a Mozart piece, breaking the silence. "Excuse me." She said as she answered it, "Hello?" she said into the mouthpiece but only heard uncontrollable sobbing at the other end, "Who is this? Sarah, Lilly, Heather? Um, who ever this is, please calm down." She requested. 

"Pan," A soft voice said into the phone quietly. 

"Sarah? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Pan asked. 

A fit of sobbing and heavy breathing was heard before she replied, "Turn on the TV, the media is all over it."

"What? The media is all over what?"

"You didn't hear about it?"

"Hear about what?" Pan asked getting worried. "May I?" She asked, gesturing towards the remote. Bulma nodded as if giving permission. "What channel?" 

A/N: Alright, that concludes yet another chapter, sorry if it wasn't any good…but you know how it is…well, see ya next chapter…hopefully!! ^_~ 

You know the procedure…click that little button and let me know what you think….              


	9. 69th Review Special!!

A/N: Well, I've been reading around and it seems like everyone is doing these little 100th review specials…well I'm going to try my hand at one…@_#

69th review SPECIAL!!!! 

I'd like to thank Black Opal for sending in the 69th review!!! Well, hmmm…. what should I write!! I know a nice LEMON should do the job!!!!    

Trunks and Pan enter the room

Pan: A lemon?? 

Trunks: * Starts Drooling * (Pan smacks him upside the head)

Dr. Squee: Yeah, I thought I'd reward the reviewers…in honor of the 69th review!

Trunks: Come on Pan!!

Pan: Trunks, we're not even together!! I'm not going to sleep with you just because of some review ceremony!! 

* Trunks steals the keyboard and starts typing *

Pan: No! I said no!!

* Pan smacks him upside the head and erases what he wrote *

Pan: There. 

Trunks: You're no fun.

Pan: I'm a single mother damn it!! I'm not that fucking easy!

* Pan storms out of the room *

* Dr. Squee shakes her head *

Trunks: What kind of a fanfic author are you? 8 chapters and we're still not together!! For SHAME!!!! Now what am I supposed to do?!

*Dr. Squee hands him lotion and a box of tissue*

Dr. Squee: Bathroom's down the hall. 

Trunks: YOU SUCK!! *Storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him*

Dr. Squee: Remind me never to do another review special for the rest of my life.


	10. Chapter Nine: The Truth about almost eve...

A/N: Sorry for the long delay…hehe…busy, ya know!

Alone

~Last Time~ 

"Hear about what?" Pan asked getting worried. "May I?" She asked, gesturing towards the remote. Bulma nodded as if giving permission. "What channel?" 

Chapter Nine: The Truth about almost everything…

"Kittens?" Pan half laughed as the image of ten little orphaned kittens appeared on the TV. "You're crying over kittens? Man, I thought I was emotional when I was pregnant." She smirked as she turned off the television set; half relieved, half annoyed. 

"No, no. You must've missed it." Sarah sobbed. "Are you sitting down?" she asked. 

"Yeah." Pan confirmed awkwardly as she crossed her legs. "Spit it out already, you've got me all worried." 

She heard Sarah sigh before taking in a large breath. "Jason…he killed her." She tried to say before breaking down in a fit of sobs. "He killed Izumi because she was going to leave him. She's dead because of that SELF RIGHTEOUS ASS HOLE!" She screamed the last part so loud that Pan had to take the phone away from her ear. Half the room, mostly the sayains also heard the last part. After a few moments of silence, Sarah recomposed herself. "Pan, you there?" she asked softly into the phone. 

After clearing her throat, "Yeah, I'm still here. What about the children, are they okay?" she asked while thinking about her late sister-in-law and her three children. Zack and Zeke, identical twin boys of 6 years of age were always getting into some sort of trouble, whether it was playing cruel jokes on their teacher or running around the police station getting their uncle Emmanuel in deep shit with his superiors. Mau, the 14-year-old girl was a bit of a computer geek, but all the same a good kid who happened to be the youth district boxing champion; a good combination for the part of the city she lives in. "Sarah, what about the children?" she repeated after a long silence on Sarah's behalf. 

"They're on the train." 

"The train? To where?" Pan asked half suspicious. 

"Well see you're the only living relative who is capable of taking care of them." Sarah informed. 

"Why didn't anyone call me before the put them on the train?" Pan half yelled hoarsely as she tried to discreetly leave the room where separate conversations were being held among her friends and family.

"I don't know! I don't know!" She responded. "I thought they did call you! That's why I called, to see if you're going to be alright." 

"I seriously can't do this." Pan replied. "I have me hands full with Emmanuel alone and I'm still not even sure how to do this whole parenting thing. I'm a 24-year-old single mother widow trying to make it on her own; I can't raise three more kids, one by the way not that much younger then myself!" she said as she were about to faint. 

"I know. I know." Sarah sighed. "There's always foster care…but there's no guarantee that they'll be able to stay together." 

Gohan stood unnoticed in the doorway watching his daughter on the stairs. "I can't do this on my own. This is a big responsibility, hell I'm not all that responsible!" 

"Single mothers need to stick together, right?" Sarah stated more than asked. "Listen, right now I'm unemployed, living on welfare in the shit part of city. I could come stay with you; this place has nothing to offer me anymore. Then with our combined income, we'll be able to nearly scrape by. We can get a bigger apartment and you'll need a van, which I have."

"You don't need to do that." 

"Yes I do and like it or not Pan, I will. I'm leaving tomorrow." Sarah informed stubbornly into the phone. "No, the children's train arrives at Satan City Station in half an hour, on platform 7. They don't have an escort and I'm sure the media has caught wind of their destination. You can't let them ask any question about their mother…the twins don't know yet. Just get them out of the station as soon as possible and get home." 

"Alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Pan said shakily into the phone before hanging up. For the first time she noticed her father's gaze. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you're in over your head." Gohan stated as he walked up to his daughter and gave her a reassuring hug that meant that no matter what, he'd always be there for her. "So what's up?" He asked. 

"I hate all this drama! Can't I have one perfectly normal day?" She asked softly. Her father sighed as if in agreement. "I have to go." She said as she pulled away from him. 

"Where you going?" 

"I have to go to the train station to pick up my niece and nephews." She breathed. 

"What?!" Gohan nearly shrieked, but recovered from the shock almost instantly. "What happened?" 

Pan explained to her father about the whole ugly situation about her sister-in-law, Izumi and her freeloading boyfriend; how she was going to leave him and about the three children. "It's funny you know. Right when you think life is better, it kicks you right back down." She laughed as she wiped away her tears that threaten to trickle down her cheek.  

"Then it's settled then." Gohan said confidently. "You, Emmanuel and your niece and nephews will stay at my house for the night. I'll watch them while you're at work, then when you're friend gets here you guys can fix up your apartment."

"Why are you doing this?" 

"Because you're my daughter." He answered simply. 

"I better get going."

"I'll drive. After all, I still have the family air car." 

"Okay. Let me just grab Emmanuel and get his car seat out of Yamcha's car, then we'll be on our way." She said cheering up a considerable amount. Once she entered the living room, Emmanuel had woken up and was jumping up and down on Goten's chest. Yamcha was talking about Poker night at his house tomorrow when he threw Pan the keys to his car. Gohan offered to get the car seat prepared while Pan took care of Emmanuel. 

As soon as Gohan went outside, Goten handed Emmanuel to him rightful mother. "Where you going?" he asked. 

"I have some things I have to take care of before the night's end, that's all." Pan answered simply as she changed another poopy diaper. Once she got his pants back on, she struggled with young infant to get his shoes back on. 

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Trunks said as he gave her a hug. 

"Feel free to drop by tomorrow, anytime! Oh and if you feel the need to play a hand of poker, most of the guys will be over at my house at 5." Yamcha invited. 

"I'll remember that." Pan smiled warmly; keeping up her 'everything is perfectly fine' routine without fault. Gohan stepped into the house and threw the keys back at Yamcha. 

"You're going to show up tomorrow, right?" Yamcha asked Gohan. 

"I may stop by, but I expect to spend most of the day with Pan." He shrugged. "Ready to go?" he asked. 

"Yeah." Pan replied. "I'll see you all soon." She said as she and her father walked out of the house. Within fifteen minutes they were at the train station. Sarah was right; the media really did catch wind of the children's arrival. 

"Why's the media making such a big fuss over this?" Gohan questioned after noticing Pan's discretion. 

"You know how I said my husband was a cop? Well, he was killed in a hostage situation and hailed a hero for giving his life to save the infant girl. The media from Mistengate city made it a real big deal; so I kept my maiden identity secret cause that would just cause another media explosion. Now, the media is going be over everything, even Mom's death." 

"Aunt Pan!" One of the twin boys screamed as he, his brother and his sister got off the train; earning the media's attention, who all started rolling their video cameras and taking pictures. Pan handed Emmanuel to her father expecting what was about to happen. The boys ran up to their aunt and jumped into her arms while Mau, the girl, took her time, but beat the media. "We've missed you so much!" they both chimed as they gave her kiss on either cheek. 

"Mrs. Black!" One of the reporters yelled. "When did you learn of your sister-in-law's death?" 

Pan ignored him and started for the exit. The reporters and news cameras still followed, bombarding the group with questions until they were situated inside the car. Gohan didn't waste anytime getting the hell out of the station.

It didn't take long for the media to add one and one together, fitting the puzzle pieces together perfectly. 

~@ Capsule Corp.~

"What's the weather supposed to be like tomorrow?" Krillin asked. 

Bulma shrugged and turned on the T.V. "Maybe we'll be able to caught the weather." She said. 

"We have breaking news tonight…" the newscaster announced urgently. "Izumi Black, of Mistengate City was murdered in her inner city town house late last night while her three children slept soundly in their beds. Jason Kotez shot her five times in the stomach and twice in the head. Neighbors informed police that two had been dating for a little over three years but Izumi was planning leaving him. Her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Black didn't want to comment on camera because they were understandably upset and shaken; not only did they lose their only daughter, but their only son, Emmanuel Black who was heroically killed in a hostage situation a little over a year ago; leaving his 8 month pregnant wife." Film of the hostage situation started to play on the screen, taken by an amateur cameraman. The picture was shaky, but you could faintly see a man with gun pressed to a child's head and another trying to negotiate with him. The film grew even shakier and you could hear an 'Oh Kami' before the camera whipped around and gunshots were heard. "Emmanuel Black, died 6 hours later in the intensive care unit at Mercy Star Hospital. Now the children were sent to live with their Aunt, Pan Black; widow of Emmanuel who's true identity is believed to be Mr. Satan's granddaughter. She lost her mother, Videl Son to the HIV virus last year. Pan and her father were seen at the Satan City train station to pick up the children of Izumi Black earlier this evening, but didn't comment on camera. Back to you Scott."

"The weather for tomorrow it SUN, SUN, SUN! Yes, you heard correctly! The snow clouds will be gone tomorrow but expect for many more days like tomorrow!" The weather man announced happily.              


End file.
